It’s been a few weeks since WordPress released their latest version 4.2.2, and I thought I’d go over a couple of the features that are most beneficial to photo bloggers. WP 4.2 was named Powell after the jazz legend and the latest update was released earlier this month.

When I first tested it out, most of the new features looked good—with the exception of theme previewing (where I received error messages). Since that time, WordPress has released two security updates (4.2.1 and 4.2.2) which also seem to have resolved other issues such as the theme previewing problem.

Press This for Sharing Images in Your Posts

By far the best new feature that photo bloggers can take advantage of in WordPress 4.2.2 is the “Press This” functionality for sharing photos and other content. After you install Press This from the Tools menu in the WP dashboard, you can add it to the button bar of your web browser. Then, when you log in to your WordPress site, you can click the Press This button while you’re on any web page to share the content in a new post. You get the option to include the images you want in your new post and you can save it as a draft or publish it immediately.

You can also use the Press This feature to share Instagram and Pinterest photos.

Streamline Plugin Updating

As a WordPress photo blog owner, you’ll probably be working with a number of plugins for displaying or selling your images. In WP 4.2.2, the process of updating your plugins has been simplified and improved. Now, when you click to update a plugin, you aren’t taken to a separate screen for the status of the update process. The updating takes place right from the installed plugins screen. This feature certainly appears to speed up the updating process.

Together with the new theme previewing, the above new features are more benefits when using WordPress for your photo blog website.

For those WordPress site owners that don’t have automatic updates enabled, be sure to back up your website and upgrade to the latest version of WordPress (4.1) that was released last week.

For me personally, most of the new features in this release aren’t really all that useful. But, since it’s always a good idea to keep your system up to date, I upgraded as soon as I could. Here are some of my thoughts about version 4.1.

Among the features added in WordPress 4.1 are:

New Default 2015 Theme
WordPress 4.1 includes the new default theme 2015. It has a nice clean layout. But since I usually don’t use the default themes, it’s not really a big deal to me.

Distraction Free Writing
This is the most interesting feature added in the new release. Apparently, some people feel that the WordPress dashboard is very distracting when composing a post or page. Now, you can click the square button on the right side of the text editor and the rest of the WordPress background disappears. You can then move the mouse pointer outside and inside the text editor area to make the rest of the background reappear or disappear again.

Normally, I compose my posts and pages outside of WordPress and then copy them over. However, I’ve never felt the WP dashboard was overly distracting. But if you’re one of those that has been bothered by it, then version 4.1 is for you.

Plugin Recommendations in the Installer
Now when you’re going to add new plugins, there’s an additional option to look at recommended plugins—apparently based on the ones you’re already using. I guess this is a good feature for WP newbies. I usually search for specific criteria in my plugin searches, so I doubt I’d use this feature much.

Ability to easily Embed Videos from Vine
Recent versions of WordPress have made the process of embedding images and videos easier. In version 4.1, they have extended the process to videos from Vine.

Ability to Switch Language Translations in General Settings
If you need to utilize different language translations, then this feature in version 4.1 will be helpful. Again, in my case I don’t really think I’ll be making much use of it.

Under the Hood Improvements
As usual, this new version of WordPress includes a number of “under the hood” improvements. WordPress 4.1 now includes support for advanced conditional logic in queries, title tags in themes, and extended JavaScript APIs.

While I’ll admit this isn’t the most exciting WordPress update, it’s always best to keep your software current. So, be sure to back up and upgrade as soon as you can.

In response to a number of security issues recently discovered, WordPress has released a 4.0.1 update. This security release addresses potential risks for those running version 3.9.2 or earlier, as well as fixes for bugs found in WordPress version 4.0.

Some of the specific security issues addressed are:

Cross scripting issues that could be used by an author or contributor to compromise a website

Cross site request forgeries that can trick a user into changing their password

Denial of service issues when passwords are checked

More protections from server side forgery attacks

If a password reset email is sent, but the user remembers their password then logs in and changes their email address, the links in the email are now invalidated

In addition, 23 bugs in WP version 4.0 have now been fixed.

If you’re set up for automatic updates, you probably already have the new 4.0.1 version installed. If not, then I strongly encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible.

WordPress is a great content management system for photo blog websites. And with the latest release—WordPress 4.0—it’s an even better choice if you’re thinking about creating a site for your photography. Here’s a look at how the new features in WP 4.0 can benefit your photo blog.

Improved Media Library
The media library in WordPress has undergone some improvements with the last few releases. In WP 4.0, it has been given an even nicer and cleaner look. When you click on one of your images in the library, a new screen will pop up displaying a larger sized image for viewing. You can also edit you media information such as the title, caption, and description.

New Embedding Features for Videos and Social Media
While the improvements in the Media Library will make working with photo images easier and more convenient, the new embedding features in WordPress 4.0 will allow those who create and want to feature videos in their website much easier. Now, all you have to do is copy the URL of your YouTube video from your browser and paste it into your post or page. Your video will now appear in the editor where you can preview it!

In addition to videos, you can also easily embed social media items such as your tweets.

Improved Editor Makes Creating Posts Easier
Speaking of the WordPress editor, there has also been a huge improvement made to it. In the past, working within the WP editor has sometimes been difficult when scrolling around and trying to add and edit content. The editing area has now been greatly improved as it will now expand to fit any new content you add to it. And, your formatting tools will remain visible and accessible to you at the top of the screen.

New Plugin Browser for Easily Adding More Functionality to your Site
While the default core WordPress software is great for photography sites, there are going to be times when you’ll want to add a plugin to add or improve functionality to your photo blog. That’s where the new plugin browser comes in. It has been revamped to be easier to use and view details about the plugins you’re searching for. Together with the past improvements to the WP themes browser, you can now create an eye-caching and effective WordPress photo blog more quickly and efficiently.

WordPress has come a long way since the days when it was just a software program for simple web blogs. WP is now an advanced content management system that is especially great for photo bloggers. The new features included with version 4.0 make things even easier for photography website owners.

Late last week, WordPress 3.8 was made available for updating. This latest release from WP is all about improving the look, feel, and usability of the software for WordPress site owners. After updating my websites with 3.8, here are my thoughts about the new features.

New look for the WordPress Dashboard

In WordPress 3.8, the typeface and layout of the dashboard have been modified for a simpler, more streamlined look. For even more customization, you can even change the color scheme of your dashboard by editing the user profiles. Although I never had a problem with the old dashboard look, I do like the new version. Below is a screen shot of my dashboard after the upgrade.

Improved Functionality in the Theme and Widget Sections

The other notable change in WP 3.8 is the revamped look and functions when you go to the Theme and Widget areas. On the Themes screen, in addition to the activate button, you can now mouse over each of your installed themes to access functions to view the theme’s details, customize your theme, and be able to see a live preview of the theme before you actually activate it.

Likewise, the Widgets screen has also been redesigned to allow for an easier working interface when adding or changing items. In fact, if you’re using a tablet computer, you can just tap a widget to add it.

Mobile Computer Ready

Which leads to the next improvement with WordPress 3.8: Improved appearance and functionality on all types of devices—including smartphones and tablets. And by switching to vector based icons, your WordPress site will load faster with higher definition.

New 2014 Theme

The new Twenty Fourteen theme that is included with WP 3.8 gives your blog a magazine look that could be useful for some photo bloggers. Normally, I don’t use the “yearly” themes, however, I did take a look at a live preview of Twenty Fourteen and it looks pretty good.

So far, I have to say I’m impressed with this updated version of WordPress. I encourage all WP site owners to back up their sites and upgrade to WordPress 3.8.

Just days after WordPress 3.7 was released, version 3.7.1 is now available. According to WP, this release addresses 11 bugs found in version 3.7. The good news for those who already upgraded to version 3.7 is that you probably had the new 3.7.1 version installed automatically via the new background update feature.

The automatic update feature worked out well for me, although I was a bit concerned at first since only a couple of my sites were auto-updated. However, by the end of the day, all of my websites were updated to version 3.7.1. Interestingly, even sites on the same server were updated at different times during the day. After checking my email though, I found that I had been notified about the WordPress updates.

The notification email you received regarding the update is worded as follows:

Howdy! Your site at http://yoursite.com has been updated automatically to WordPress 3.7.1.

No further action is needed on your part. For more on version 3.7.1, see the About WordPress screen:
http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/about.php

If you experience any issues or need support, the volunteers in the WordPress.org support forums may be able to help.
http://wordpress.org/support/

You also have some plugins or themes with updates available. Update them now:
http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/

I just finished updating my websites with version 3.7 of WordPress which was made available on Friday, October 26th. WordPress 3.7 includes some nice new features in addition to the under the hood improvements. Here’s a brief rundown on this latest release of WP.

The first big feature with WP 3.7 is the ability to automatically apply updates with security and maintenance releases of WordPress (e.g. 3.7.x). You won’t have to go in and manually install these types of updates as they can be now be done in the background. However, keep in mind that you will have to manually update the next enhancement release (e.g. 3.8).

The next nice feature concerns password security. WordPress has updated their password meter that gauges how strong or weak your intended password is. Now, as you create an account or update a profile, you are encouraged to create a stronger more secure password when you type it in. I tried it out myself and indeed, the standards are now much stricter. Even using both upper and lower case letters, adding a number, and a special character is still labeled as a “Very Weak” password. You are encouraged to create a longer password and mix it up even more.

Other improvements with WordPress 3.7 involve search results and global support. Search results are now ranked by how well a query matches a post instead of listed just by date. And, WordPress localized versions now get faster more complete language translations.

The “under the hood” enhancements with WP 3.7 include better update controls for developers and administrators, more complex date queries, and multisite improvements for developers.

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage all WP site owners to upgrade to version 3.7 as soon as possible. As usual, be sure to back everything up before updating.

This week, WordPress issued version 3.6.1—a maintenance and security release. According to WP, there have been nearly 7 million downloads of WordPress 3.6. These users should definitely upgrade to this latest version which fixes 13 bugs from that release.

While I haven’t personally experience any problems with WP 3.6, version 3.6.1 apparently addresses three main fixes by the security team. Unsafe PHP unserialization which could lead to remote code execution has been block. Users with the Author role are now prevented from creating a post labeled as written by some other user. And, insufficient input validation has been fixed—preventing a user from being lead to another site.

As always, be sure you have a backup before upgrading to this latest version.

Some of the reasons I like WordPress for creating photo blogs and other types of websites are that it is very easy to use and flexible enough to accommodate most website requirements. The WordPress dashboard and interface is very user intuitive, and what new users may not realize is that it is also customizable. In fact, the screen options are context sensitive. If you haven’t had a chance to explore all of the screen options in WordPress, here’s a brief overview.

While on the WP dashboard, if you click on Screen Options in the upper right hand corner of the screen, you’ll see the check boxes where you can choose to show or hide certain elements:

Right Now
Shows your current amount of posts, pages, categories, comments, etc.

Recent Comments
Shows your five most recent comments

Incoming Links
Uses Google Blog Search to show when other blogs have linked to your site.

Plugins
Suggests some of the most popular or newest plugins.

QuickPress
Allows you to quickly create a blog post from the dashboard without going into the posts section.

Recent Drafts
Shows your recent blog drafts.

WordPress Blog
Shows the latest posts from the WordPress.org blog.

Other WordPress News
Links to other WordPress stories.

Welcome
Includes links to help newbies get started with WordPress.

# of Columns
You can actually change the number of columns on the dashboard screen if you prefer a different layout.

Depending on what area of WordPress you’re currently viewing, the screen options will change. For example, if you’re viewing a post and you click on Screen Options, you’ll see these checkbox options:

Note that on my screen options, the All in One SEO Pack and Page Links To options appear as a result of plugins I’ve installed, so you may have additional checkboxes depending on the plugins you have activated.

If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage you to experiment and check out the various screen options throughout WordPress. You may find that having certain options visible at all times helps you out more while you’re working on your blog.

Now that WordPress 3.6 has been released, the attention now turns to versions 3.7 and 3.8. According to wordpress.org, WP 3.7 and 3.8 are simultaneously being developed. So what can we look forward to in WordPress 3.7? Along with updates in processes, tools, and workflows, the most intriguing improvements to WordPress users involve security, stability, and updates.

Specifically, WP is working on improving security with password generation and the strengthening of cookies. With the recent brute force attacks on WordPress sites, I’d certainly consider this update one of the most important for version 3.7.

They are also looking at upgrading the update process with automatic updates for minor releases of WP. While the current updating process for minor releases is not that time consuming for me, I would welcome automatic updates to speed up the process a bit more.

And to make WordPress even more globally popular, they are working on separating the language files from the rest of the system to allow for independent updating and maintenance.

WordPress 3.7 is supposed to be released in October, with version 3.8 slated for December.